No fatalities

24 Oct 2017: CESSNA A185 E — BLUE SKIES AVIATION LLC — Tacoma, WA

Tacoma, WA, United States

On 24 Oct 2017, a CESSNA A185 E operated by BLUE SKIES AVIATION LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Tacoma, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the left main landing gear tire valve stem, resulting in a loss of control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a three-point landing at about 70 mph on runway 35, a tailwheel-equipped high performance airplane veered right, exited the runway, and ground looped, causing substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot reported that a valve stem failure on the left main landing gear tire led to loss of control.

Accident Sequence

According to the pilot, the tailwheel-equipped, high performance airplane performed a three-point landing at about 70 miles per hour. During the landing roll on runway 35, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and left aileron in an attempt to keep the airplane on the runway, but the airplane exited the right side of the runway and ground looped to the right. The left wing and left elevator struck the ground.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar, ribs, aileron, and the left elevator.

Weather Information

A METAR report from the accident airport indicated that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 010° at 7 knots.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that the valve stem from the left main landing gear tire failed, causing the loss of control.

Probable cause

Failure of the left main landing gear tire valve stem, resulting in a loss of control.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained